


in the middle of the darkest night it's true (i will rescue you)

by lazyfish



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Meeting the Parents, Multi, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23522470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyfish/pseuds/lazyfish
Summary: Jemma's parents are a little too good at interrogation, and she has to stage a rescue mission - twice.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	in the middle of the darkest night it's true (i will rescue you)

No one else noticed Bobbi tapping on the kitchen table.

Hunter did. Short short short, long long long, short short short, over and over and over.

 _SOS, SOS, SOS_.

Hunter could understand the sentiment. Visiting your partner’s parents’ house for the first time to plan a baby shower was not fun, to say the least. Meeting your partners’ parents for the first time to plan a baby shower was equally un-fun. Fitz wasn’t getting much of a grilling, thanks to his years-long friendship with Jemma, but her parents were insistent on making sure Hunter and Bobbi were both suitable for their daughter.

Which was a bit of a problem, since Bobbi was six months pregnant and jumpier than usual due to that fact. She was never going to be comfortable with the “meet the family” thing, and the circumstances were just making it worse. Bad enough, apparently, that she wanted out, and now.

Hunter wrapped his fingers around hers to quiet the tapping, squeezing her hand in a series of long and short pulses he hoped he was remembering correctly. _Do you need a break?_

She startled halfway through his squeezing, evidently not realizing what he was doing until his message was nearly done. Hunter frowned. That wasn’t like Bob.

“And Hunter, what was it you said you did before working for… Jemma’s organization?”

Bless their hearts, they still wouldn’t say S.H.I.E.L.D. Hunter forced a cordial smile onto his face, glad to be moving off the subject of Bobbi, at least for the time being.

“I worked with the Special Air Service,” he answered. Best to leave out the mercenary work, for now. Maybe forever.

“And what did you do with them?” Jemma’s father continued.

“I was a part of the air patrol, so I went across enemy lines, did parachuting, a few other things I can’t tell you,” Hunter winked, hoping the ‘it’s classified’ angle would keep any uncomfortable questions from popping up.

“Did you ever have to… kill anyone?” Jemma’s mother asked breathlessly.

Bobbi’s fingers tightened around his, and Fitz cleared his throat as if prepared to butt in. Hunter laid a placating hand on Fitz’s leg.

“I did what I needed to do to serve my country, ma’am.”

It was a lie in a can, the same one he had been spitting out for the last five years. If he had it his way, Hunter would never have to say it again, but… things rarely worked out his way.

“And was that how you met Barbara?”

“We originally met when I was in the SAS, yes.” Hunter didn’t like where this line of questioning was going.

“And was it why you two split?”

“Mum!” Jemma swept into the room with the binder full of baby shower planning ideas she had left in the car. “Bobbi and Hunter’s past relationship isn’t something for you to gossip about.” She levelled her mother with a glare that would fell most people, but Mrs. Simmons just glared right back.

“If they’re going to be in a relationship with you, I think I deserve to know why they failed on their own!”

“Excuse me,” Bobbi murmured, tugging her hand out of Hunter’s when she stood.

“Bathroom’s second door on the right, sweetheart,” Jemma said, seamlessly covering Bobbi’s discomfort with a reason acceptable to her parents. Bobbi nodded before departing, leaving Jemma, Fitz, and Hunter with the now-open binder.

“Anyways, mother, as I was saying, Bobbi and Hunter’s past relationship isn’t relevant. They’ve changed, and Fitz and I are with them now, and she is having Hunter’s baby -”

“How do you know it’s not Fitz’s?”

Jemma took a deep breath, and Hunter could _see_ her reaching the end of her rope. “Mum, I’d like you to consider how much you want to know about my sex life, and then decide whether or not you want me to answer that question.”

Jemma’s mother pinkened, and Hunter couldn’t help but feel a small stab of victory when she let the subject drop and instead turned to talking about colors and shower themes.

The victory faded quickly when five minutes passed and Bobbi still hadn’t returned from the loo. 

“Fitz, would you go see if Bobbi needs anything?” Jemma asked, evidently noticing the same time Hunter did.

A moment later she was pressing a quick kiss to his cheek so she could murmur into his ear. “I’m sorry, but you’re much better at dealing with them than Fitz is.”

Hunter just gave her a quick peck back. If he wasn’t so worried about Bobbi he’d make a joke about being used to dealing with hellbeasts, but as it was, he was too concerned somehow had finally managed to find a chink in Bobbi’s armor to joke at her expense.

The planning went on for another ten minutes before Hunter and Jemma couldn’t take it anymore.

“I think we may need to stage a rescue mission. They may have fallen in.” Jemma was trying to keep her tone light, but Hunter could see the tension in the line of her jaw. Thankfully Jemma included him in the rescue mission, so he wasn’t left alone with her folks. Jemma did leave the binder so they could continue discussing a cupcake tower versus an actual cake, and they ventured past the kitchen and towards the downstairs bathroom, which both Bobbi and Fitz were notably absent from.

Jemma didn’t seem perturbed, instead leading Hunter upstairs. She was right to do so, because they found Fitz and Bobbi sitting on the bed in Jemma’s childhood bedroom, the latter still crying.

Hunter locked the door behind them once he and Jemma had slipped into the room. Best they weren’t interrupted. Jemma sat on Bobbi’s free side and Hunter knelt on the floor in front of her, carefully taking her hand in his again.

Short short short, long long long, short short short.

 _I know_ , Hunter wanted to say, _we know you’re hurting, that’s why we’re here, let us help._

“They hate me,” Bobbi sniffled. “They hate me and they think I’m going to ditch you because I ditched Hunter and they don’t care about the baby and -” she let out a broken sob.

“They’re actually more concerned that Hunter’s going to leave,” Jemma said. 

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Bobbi wailed. “He already walked out once!”

Hunter’s hands fell out of Bobbi’s limply, his head bowed over as he struggled against the pull of his emotions. He thought she had forgiven him for the way they ended, but apparently she hadn’t.

Trying not to have his own crisis while Bobbi was having hers felt like fighting a losing battle, and Hunter was about to beg off when a warm, familiar hand cupped the back of his head.

“Look at me,” Fitz said softly. Hunter turned his face up, staring at Fitz’s forehead instead of his eyes.

“We are not our fathers.”

Hunter opened his mouth to protest. “We are not our fathers,” Fitz repeated more insistently. “You’re not going to leave, Hunter.”

“But what if I do?” he asked weakly.

“Then I’ll drag your sorry arse back.” Fitz slid onto the floor next to Hunter. “But you’re not going to leave.”

“But -”

“We’re all stressed right now. Getting ready for a baby is hard and Jemma’s parents giving us the ninth degree didn’t help.” Fitz knee-walked closer so he could rest his forehead against Hunter’s. “She knows you’re going to stay, Hunter. It’s just her worst fear that you won’t.”

“I…” He didn’t know how to express how he felt, and Hunter ended up making a pathetic whimpering noise instead.

“I know.” Fitz brushed a soft kiss over Hunter’s lips. “Give her and Jemma a little more time and then you two can talk.”

“Someone should tell Jemma’s parents what we’re doing.”

“Oh, I’ll be telling them something,” Fitz huffed. “As soon as this is straightened out, we’re going back to the hotel. And we’re not coming back until they learn some manners.”

Hunter couldn’t say he disagreed with that approach, but he wasn’t sure how Fitz was actually going to get the guts to do it. Then he remembered Fitz had spent the last ten minutes holding Bobbi while she cried over what Jemma’s parents said, and any doubt was gone. Fitz loathed anyone who made his partners cry.

“Thanks, love.”

“Anything for my best boy.”

“I’m not a boy.”

“If I say best man that sounds like I’m getting married to someone who isn’t you.”

“Oh, God, don’t say the m-word or the piranhas might hear you.”

“Did you just call my parents piranhas?” Jemma cut in.

“Uh… no?” Hunter didn’t even try to look sheepish.

“Well, you’re not wrong. They shouldn’t have spoken to any of you that way.”

“Luckily we have the best rescuer ever in our corner,” Hunter said, smiling at her.

“I don’t think it counts as rescuing if I’m the reason you’re in trouble in the first place.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” Hunter replied consolingly. 

It seemed like Bobbi had stopped crying, and Hunter made cautious eye contact before she nodded and patted the bed next to her.

“I’m going to go be dashing and brave now,” Fitz announced.

“I’m going to _actually_ tell my parents what he means when he starts stuttering,” Jemma added with a small smile. Bobbi smiled weakly back, and waited until the door was closed behind the pair before leaning into Hunter.

For a long minute, they didn’t speak. 

“If you left, I don’t think I’d survive it,” Bobbi said eventually. She placed a hand on the curve of her belly, sighing softly. “Before this, I could’ve. I think I could’ve. But then…”

Hunter nodded. But then.

“Would it be different if Fitz was the father?”

“I don’t think so.” Bobbi cleared her throat. “I think… I think I’m finally getting the life I imagined we’d have together, but better, and if you left…”

“Yeah.” Hunter kissed the crown of her head. “For the record, I’m not planning on leaving. But if I did, or if something happened -”

“Please don’t make me cry again,” Bobbi muttered.

“If something happened, which it won’t - you’ve got the best backup on the planet.” He kissed Bobbi’s head again. “Jemma Simmons knows how to run a rescue operation, you know.”

“I know,” Bobbi said with a chuckle.

Fitz appeared in the doorway to the bedroom. “We’re leaving.”

Hunter stood and helped Bobbi off the bed. When they were both standing, he took the chance to kiss her squarely on the lips. They’d have more time back in the hotel to unpack everything she said to him, and everything she wanted to say to her, but Hunter had the feeling Jemma was already on edge.

They wouldn’t want her to have to rescue them _again_.


End file.
